Supply system for electric railways



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0.1L HARKINS. SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 528,477." Patented Oct. 30, 1894.

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0. 1 HARKINS] SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC BAILWAYS.

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ATENT SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,477, dated October30, 1894. Application filed December 9, 1893- Serial No. 493,216. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. HARKINs, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in a switch systemof electric railways; and my present invention consists in features ofnovelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a diagram in elevation, showing part of a conduit of anelectric railway, two of the switches, to which my invention relates,and part of a car, with a contact plate located in the conduit. Fig. IIis'a front elevation of one of the switches. Fig. III is a sideelevation of one of the switches. Fig. IVis a vertical section of one ofthe switches taken cross-wise of the fuse box. Fig. Vis a top view ofthe fuse and the plate to which it is connected. Fig. VI is a viewsimilar to Fig. IV, buttaken lengthwise of the fuse box. Fig. VII is abottom view. Fig. VIII is a detail, perspective View of the contactpoint.

My invention relates to that class of electric railways, in which thereare aseries of switches arranged along the track that are adapted to beoperated by a contact plate secured to and carried by the car, to closethe circuit between the main conductor and the car motor, at the timethe car is passing, and to break the circuit as soon as the car haspassed. Several methods of accomplishing this have been suggested, amongwhich is the method of pivoting the switch box or housing so that itwill be swung by the car to close the circuit, and swing back again,after the car has passed, to break the circuit. A serious objection tothis method is that the journals upon which the switches swing areliable to become rusty and stick, or not work easily and smoothly, andthese journals become worn and loose, admitting air to the box, anddestroying the effect ofa series of hermetically sealed switches.

The object of my invention is to construct such a switch which will besimple and effective, and in which there will be no movement of journalsto become rusty or leaky.

. Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a housing, formed preferablyin one part, with a fuse box 2 into which the branch wires 3 of the mainconductor 4 extend, as shown in the drawings.

. The fuse box may be of any ordinary construction, and is hermeticallysealed to exclude damp air and water the cover being secured to the boxby means of a clamp which consists of a bridge having down-turned endswith inwardly projecting extremities which engage beneath the flange onthe top of the box. The bridge has a central screw which jams againstthe lid and holds the cover down on the box. The main conductor 4 andbranches 3, are of course insulated.

5 is a metallic plate having an arm 6, with which the fuse 7 connects.This plate may be connected to the top of the housing 1, by

means of bolts 8, see Fig. IV, with a block 9 of insulation between theplate and the top of the housing. The plate has arms or contact points10, which preferably curve inwardly, as shown in Fig. IV. The bottomportion or part 11 of the housing is made of flexible material, such asrubber, and is preferably formed with a crimp 12,'to permit it to movefreely, in a lateral direction. The part 11 may be secured in place byany suitable means. I have shown the body of the housing with an annularflange 13, which receives the part 11, as shown in Fig. VI, and beneaththe part 11, is a flat ring 14, held in place by a suitable clamp'15,which fits over the housing, with a set screw 16 by which it may betightened to clamp the part 11 firmly between theflat ring 14:, and thebody of the housing. I have shown the ring 14 with lugs .16, which fitin notches in the flange 13.

The part 11 has a hollow neck 17, in which fits a metallic block orspool 18, having an upwardly extending contact arm 19, and a downwardlyextendingbrush or contactpoint 20. The lower .end of the block 18 isformed with a circumferential groove 21, to receive a ring 22, ofinsulation.

In the operation of the device, a plate 23, see Fig. I, (which issuitably suspended from the 'car,) comes in contact with the brushes 20,and swings the contact arms 19 laterally into engagement or against oneof the contact points 10, the flexible part 11 permitting this movement,the block or spool 18 of the bottom being moved to the position shown inFig. I, with the ring 22 into engagement with a projection 2 1 on theclamp 15, which limits the movement of the parts. As soon as the carpasses, the bottom 11 assumes its normal condition, shown in Fig. IV,with the contact arm 19 out of engagement with either point 10, and thusthe electric circuit is broken.

The switches are located near enough together for one brush 20 to alwaysbe in contact with the plate 23, that is to say, the plate reaches onebrush before leaving another. The current is conveyed from the brushesthrough the plate 23, and into the motor of the car, with which theplate 23 has insulated electrical connection.

The flat ring 14 is provided with bosses 25 which fit in depressions inthe part 11, so as to prevent the part 11 from turning and getting outof position.

The device is simple and durable, and there is no possibility of itsfailing to operate, or of its wearing and becoming exposed to moisture.

I have shown two of the contact points 10, but it is evident that with acar moving in one direction only, but one of these points may be used.

I am aware that it is old to locate switches at intervals along a track,each composed of a housing having a contact point which is in electricconnection with a main conductor, and each housing having a flexiblesteel portion carrying a contact point adapted to be moved in and out tomeet the conductor contact point, but my invention is to bedistinguished from such aconstruction in that the arrangement of theparts and the nature of the flexible portion of the housing are suchthat the contact arm or point carried by the flexible portion of thehousing has a vibrating, swinging motion laterally to the main conductorcontact point which makes a much more practical arrangement.

I claim as my invention 1. In an electric railway, independent switcheslocated at intervals along the track and each comprising a housinghaving a contact point which is in electric connection with a mainconductor, and each housing having a flexible portion adapted to yieldlaterally with relation to said contact point, an arm secured to andcarried by the flexible portion of the housing, and a brush secured tothe flexible portion of the housing and adapted to be engaged by a plateon the moving car, whereby there is imparted to said arm a laterallyswinging vibration to bring it into engagement with said contact point;substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric railway, independent switches located at intervalsalong the track and each comprising a housing having a flexible portion,a contact point located within the housing and which is in electricalconnection with a main conductor, an arm secured to and carried by saidflexible portion of the housing and extending into the path of saidcontact point so as to swing to and from said contact point and to standout of contact with said point when the switch is at rest, and aflexible brush secured to and carried by said flexible portion of thehousing and adapted to be engaged by-a plate on the moving car to swingsaid arm and bring it into contact with said point, as set forth.

3. In an electric railway, independent switches located at intervalsalong the track and each comprising a housing having a flexible portion,a pair of contact points located within the housing, and which are inelectrical connection with a main conductor, an arm secured to andcarried by said flexible portion of the housing and projecting betweensaid contact points so as to vibrate to one or the other and to standout of contact with either of said points when the switch is at rest,and a brush secured to and carried by said flexible portion of thehousing and adapted to be engaged by a plate on the moving car tovibrate said arm and bring it into contactwith either one of said pointsaccording to the direction in which the car may be moving; as set forth.

CHARLES H. HARKINS. In presence Of'- A. M. EBERSOLE, O. G. EDWARDS.

